Should you zigzag your way up?

DEAR JOYCE: At 27, I'm becoming motivated to break out of the pack and move my career forward at a much faster pace. My dad and I are talking about my best moves, and he remembers the classic zigzag strategy of changing employers every three or four years when a better offer comes along. Does zigzagging result in being penalized as a job hopper, or does it work to bring you better career results faster? -- S.L.

How robust is your risk gene? Do you think like a chess player or a checkers player? Are you willing to network like your success depends on it? Are you willing to comprehensively research a lifetime of job offers? Can you deliver impressive results?

Countless people have won career prizes by determinedly changing employers for better jobs as often as necessary -- and by being careful to rack up at least one notable accomplishment for each job held.

On the other side of your question, countless people have tried zigzagging over the past few decades only to find themselves adrift and unemployed with the negative image of job hopper hanging over them because they moved thoughtlessly and too quickly, often holding a job fewer than two years.

If you want a glimpse of how long people stay in jobs today, search for "Employee Tenure in 2012" Bureau of Labor Statistics. (Tenure rates by industry and occupation appear at the end of this PDF.)

A recent book suggests, "Just as a river has to wend its way around obstacles, the best route is never actually a straight line." The book is "The ZigZag Principle: The Goal-Setting Strategy That Will Revolutionize Your Business and Your Life" (McGraw Hill).

DEAR JOYCE: How do I get on the short list for a promotion? -- E.R.W.

If you haven't shared your ambition with your boss or self-nominated for appropriate positions through an internal bidding process, do so sooner rather than later. Ask your boss for an assessment of the skills and competencies needed to move up to the next level.

If you expect competition as an internal candidate, rewrite your resume and accomplishment sheet, and practice job interviewing. Yes, they know you, but intellectually suit up and stand ready to shine when the spotlight hits you.

PREPARE TO MANAGE. While you're waiting to be elevated from the crowd, you may as well quietly prepare for your future managerial duties. A how-to management book or two with the words "new manager" in the title is a good place to start. If you prefer digital learning, search online for "free online courses for new managers."

BE A REALIST. Are you sure that promotions are awarded on merit, or are other factors such as personal favorites distorting the field of candidates for internal promotion? If you have any doubt about the factors that determine choosing whose shoulder our company taps for promotion, make that discovery your number one priority. Veterans in your workplace may be able to sketch a short history of who won promotions and why.

GET "IN PLAY." Meet as many of your fellow employees as possible. Volunteer for committees, projects and events. Do favors. Join professional organizations. Find a mentor, or at least a role model, and ask for suggestions on moving up in your company.

SHIFT SPOTS IF NECESSARY. Be confident that you aren't perceived as grabbing indiscriminately because you apply for too many positions in too many different departments. You may find that your qualifications expand by moving laterally from a job such as "marketing coordinator" to something like "account specialist," to better position yourself in the future for "marketing manager."

(Email career questions for possible use in this column to Joyce Lain Kennedy at jlk@sunfeatures.com; use "Reader Question" for subject line. Or mail her at Box 368, Cardiff, CA 92007.)